Aerochemical device



MTy24 1949. l' y SHQRT' 2,470,793

AEROCHEMICAL DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 5, 1944 Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE AEROCHEMICAL DEVICE Frank Short, Haddam Neck, Conn.

2 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Goverment, for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an elcient means for releasing and disseminating chemical warfare agents from aircraft in flight. The present applicatio-n is a division of my parent application Serial No. 520,966, filed February 3, 1944, for Aerochemical device which has now matured into Patent No. 2,442,381. Y

Up until now very few eiective types of apparatus have been developed for discharging chemical warfare agents, such as toXic persistent liquids and incendiary substances, from airplanes. Chemical drop bombs, which explode and burst open only upon impact with the ground, have a limited tactical use because they have a low agent content efficiency and cannot be effectively used to cover targets of large area. To overcome deiciencies of drop bombs, spray tanks were developed since the last war. These tanks have a high chemical lling-to-weight ratio and good spreading capacity, but are bulky, complicated, diiiicult to prepare for action, subject to defective action, and somewhat costly.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in construction, safe to handle and release from an airplane, and with a high chemical eiciency and spreading action.

Another object is to provide an effective yet simple type of apparatus adapted for discharging a multitude of incendiary units and for laying down a shower of a persistent vesicant agent from the air, the apparatus being devoid of complications, suoh as fuses, explosive charges, electrical connections, intricate discharge lines and valves, or the like, for obtaining a discharge of the agent.

Further objects will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

For accomplishing the objects of this invention, a container is provided which may be of convenient size for attachment to standard bomb racks or, if desired, as large as standardized spray tanks. The container body or casing is constructed to have as an integral part a strip or band susceptible to being pulled or torn away by an adequate force, particularly a sudden torque force, imparted through a fastening means which remains secured to the plane when the container is released free of the plane in an orderly,'controlled manner. When the strip or band is thus torn away, the container is opened (Cl. 89-L5) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. '757) and makes a satisfactory discharge of the chemical agent without danger oi contamination to the plane.

The container is preferably somewhat streamlined and stabilized so that it falls from the plane in a suitably controlled manner. It may be constructed of light material to have a high fillingto-weight ratio,'but with adequate strength to withstand shipment and rough handling. Without intricate discharge lines and valves and without troublesome electrical connections or detonators, the container safely encloses the chemical agent lling and functions reliably to discharge the filling when desired. The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawing which illustrates an aerochemical container for incendiary units embodying important features of the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a partly sectioned, longitudinal view and a cross-section View, respectively, of a typical incendiary agent container embodying principles of the invention.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate how the container is held in an airplane by suspension lugs and show separate stages in the process of release and discharge.

Figures 7 and 8 show the construction of a recommended type of incendiary unit which forms part of the filling in the container.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 show how the incendiary unit functions upon hitting the ground.

Figure l2 shows a partly sectioned, longitudinal view of a typical container for a persistent vesicant agent.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of incendiary units l is stored within the cylindrical casing or body 2, and the ends of the body somewhat streamlined or rounded in shape house spiral springs 3 and d, tending to push the units together. In the body 2, and as an integral part thereof, is a central tear-strip 5 soldered into place and joining the two end parts of the body. The tear-strip 5 at a small loose end is provided with a loop 6, and a pull on this loop by an arming wire or cable 'I causes the container to rotate as it starts to fall and then imparts a suflicient sudden torque force at the end of the tear-strip to tear the strip from the body of the container with a jerk. The arming wire is of suiiicient length to permit the container to fall a safe distance below the bombbay hatch before the tear-strip is twisted away from the container. When the tear-strip is thus removed, the container separates into two parts;

and the springs 3 and 4 push out the incendiary 3 units I, which then fall and scatter over a Wide area.

- As illustrated in Figures s, e, 5 and e,y the por-1yvr sion vlugs 8 andr vproperly spaced: so that the notch I2 ofy the shackle bar.v shownin Figure 5, shackles `Ill and `Il vareaopened n ywhile the notch hook or shackle closed.v Thus the container beginsr to drop, andr ,f lr f a number of revolutions as it attains a certain container cani ,be attached to the releasing shacklesj .and Il offastandard type bomb-rack f of the container issprovided with fixed suspenfires can be started with a device rof extremely rsimple construction.

vThe incendiary unitsfmay have various shapes.v

For example, they may be cubical, tubular, i i spherical,y etc. formed as receptacleswbich areA frangiblesortsuof y However, they are preferably ject tocleavage on sufcient impact correspondbar. r".lhe arming wire 1: may bewrappedseveral times around the container body, as shownfin:

f Figure 2, and attached to a hook provided in l2 remains the arming wire causes the container to rotate Ony release; as f :rotative speed. vWheny the arming ywirew :be-

- comes extendedits fulllength and attains full tension, the inertia of the revolving-.and railing` kcontainer ,is sulicient to.. cause the tear-stript() become completely twisted oil, as shown in Figf uref-6," without vexcessive shock or strain.

. v f Further; asfshown in Figure 6, with the com, tainer opened into two partsthe springs act to f pushout thedncendiary units. The shackles yil! vand-.qlfirnaybeoioeratedin the usual manner througlel mechanical kor electrical means fromy Withinothef cockpit or bombardier stationcf a ing to the impact they receive in hitting the vtarget orgroundzafter'falling.'f: The flammable receptaclesshould be inert to theirvspontaneously ignitable contents and impermeableftcair or should have any innierlining or container inert and impermeable in these re'- spects for enveloping the spontaneously ignitable contents. v The spontaneously ignitablei material v mayinciude ,various substances, for example, un 1 saturated organic compounds which very rapidly pounds.v Solutions of these substances in am i stances the plastic used to'envelopthe spontane:

y yplaner Likewise, the notch hook lf2 maybe oper-y atedito open :and releasethe arming wireand taclfied"conical stabilizer 0l' equivalent taln 'fer y *V narration., In other instances thereceptacles may,y v i nbe constructedoi nonebrousimaterials, such las` nitro-cellulose plastic, or an ignitable metal, such attachedteanstrip `as a safety measure after the contain'erzhasdbeen released toitheiullest yextcru',. Atthe'tail end, thecontaineris provided witha valve,Ineensy t3 for removing air andforcing inL anfqnertLigas,4` such as nitrogen, and with an at-v keepinglthe:container in a substantially:st eaolyk position :assttfallsv into the air stream.

'As shown in Figures '7l and i8, the incendiary units may-bemade up of squares l5 and labout 1ArltozJ/ginch thick. These squares may be made oiCelotexor `similar ammable fibrous material. They may be coated or impregnated with parafu; ortlie1ike, to increase their combustibility andmake them impermeable to air. The squares areajoined` together in pairs andpreferably arranged as shown in Figure 8 to make a unit. A recess IlimayV be provided in one or both of the squares as'shown in vFigure "7 on the side of the squares whichy becomes covered when the unit is put together. Within the recess is placed a phosphorus solution or suspension, and the unit is assembled-asin Figure 8by lightly melting paraffin orladhesive'lplastic with which the two squares are impregnated and sticking the squares together toset the adhesive. Thus, the phosphorus may'be kept sealedin the unit indefinitely, particularlyl'lif the phosphorus solution is substantially"encased` in a, plastic, adhesive material which-prevents access of air, until the unit becomes separated.

v.lifter-the double square units have been discharged-from the container, they become distributed through the air and are kept from ignitimg hby` virtue of the sealed assembly described. Upon hitting the ground, in general, the individually frangible units tend to have an impact onone point or another, whereupon inertia forces themlton separate as `shown inFigure 10.` When theeunitbecomes separated, the -vet phosphorus suspensioncorfsolution becomes exposed to the aimvandnasfthe material becomes dried out by evaporation; `the phosphorus becomes ignited and sets'rre-:tothesquare; In this way extensive ously ignitable material may be one which isnot readily flammable, as,-fory example,y cell-L'ilosefv acetatai In having thespontaneously ignitable-v substance renveloped Within a brous receptacle by glass or aninert plastid'the; brousmaterial y of' the receptacle may be chemically treated tor` increase its combustibility, as, for example', by:`

as magnesium.

' The frangible units may be safely protected.,

against breaking and igniting in the container by proper packing, such as described, so that theyremain unaffected until the individual units distributed from the opened containers fall and 'hit the target or ground.`

Referring to Figure 12, the body of the con-l tainer for a persistent liquid vesicant or similar toxic agent is shaped and constructed in much'- the same manner as the incendiary container i1flustrated in Figure l. The liquid containervdoes` not necessarily require any internal projectionr means, such as springs, and may be filled toa proper level with a liquid agent, leaving -a vod for expansion. The container body may belmacle.y

up with the tear-strip 5 in the midsection.

Methods other than soldering may belused fori incorporating a tear-strip in the container. v For:

example, the body may be fabricated as` onetpiece but with a `circumferential band i9 forrnedfb'y.4 partly shearing or stamping an indentation 20` onto the wall `01 the body. A loop "is1rrnly welded into the band for attachment toanharm# l ing Wire or cable, and in at least one A-placewa weakening indentation may be made acrosslthe f band. The chemical container is also preferably# provided with a threaded filling hole 2l for charg` ing liquid into the container and closure plug..22lf

or `equivalent valve means.

Like .the incendiary container, the liquid con-I tainer may be provided with a stabilizer I4 at thef tail end to maintain the container in a horizontal position as it falls into the air stream beloW the bomb bay to avoid bumping and make the opening of the container with less shock. When' rand discharges the chemical content, which thereupon becomes broken up into a shower of liquid drops in the same fashion as a stream of liquid issuing from a spray tank.

The container and releasing assembly may be attached |to a wing of an airplane. The container L.

may be attached toa parachute.

The container casing may be made of sheet steel of about 10 .to 20 gage. A tear-strip soldered to abutting sections of 'the casing may be somewhat thinner.

A number of variations may be made in the structure of the container with the tear-strip releasing means to suit tactical needs. For example, perforated plates may be fixed within the container to be near the outlets of the sections of the container so that the liquid is ejeced at a slower rate when the tear-strip is torn away. Or, the container may be constructed .to have a Weighted nose which remains fixed to the stabilized ftail end, so that the container falls like a bomb and ejects liquid through openings left where the tear-strip is removed. Such a device m-ay be released from high altitudes Iand aimed at an area `target to be contaminated. Provisions mas7 be made in such a container to have air or uid in the air stream of an air craft in flight,

comprising .a thin elongated sheet metal casing having an integral thin metal midsection provided with indented marginal portions rand being susceptible to being ruptured and torn away from the container vby .a sudden torque force, adjacent integral tubular portions having substantially semi-spherical yend portions, means for charging the casing with the liquid, .a fastening on said midsection for attaching an arming cable through which the torque force is applied, and la suspension lug fixed to each of said tubular portions for attachment to a releasing shackle on said air craft.

2. A liquid tight container adapted. for releasing and disseminating a persistent vesicant liquid in the air stream of lan air craft in flight, compri-sing a thin elongated sheet metal casing having an integral thin metal midsection provided with indented marginal portions and being susceptible of being ruptured and torn away from the container by a sudden torque force, adjacent integral tubular portions having substantially semi-spherical end portions, means for charging the casing with the liquid, a fastening on said midsection for attaching an arming cable through which the torque force is applied, a suspension lug fixed to each of said tubular portions for attachment to a releasing shackle on said aircraft, and .a stabilizing iin attached exteriorly to one on said end portions for holding the longitudinal axis of said container approximately in alignment with the Vdirection of the air stream of said aircraft.

FRANK SHORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,294,645 Ford Feb. 18, 1919 1,754,134 Wiley Apr. 8, 1930 2,327,365 Moseman Aug. 24, 1943 2,346,494 Leland Apr. 11, 1944 2,354,882 Samann Aug. 1, 1944 2,442,381 Short June 1, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 104,374 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1917 

